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Volume 20, Number 9—September 2014
Research

Distance from Construction Site and Risk for Coccidioidomycosis, Arizona, USA

Janis E. BlairComments to Author , Yu-Hui H. Chang, Yvette Ruiz, Stacy Duffy, Beth E. Heinrich, and Douglas F. Lake1
Author affiliations: Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, USA (J.E. Blair); Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona (Y.-H. H. Chang, B.E. Heinrich); Arizona State University, Phoenix (Y. Ruiz, S. Duffy, D.F. Lake)

Main Article

Table 1

Characteristics of participants, at enrollment and 1 year later, in a study of distance from a construction site as a risk factor for coccidioidomycosis, Arizona, USA, 2012–2013*

Characteristic At enrollment, N = 316
 At 1-year follow-up, N = 210
Campus A† Campus B† p value Campus A† Campus B† p value
Sex 0.03‡
M 28/176 (15.9) 20/140 (14.3) 0.69‡ 22/120 (18.3) 7/90 (7.8)
F
 148/176 (84.1)
 120/140 (85.7)
98/120 (81.7)
 83/90 (92.2)
Median age, y (range)
 47 (21–75)
 53 (18–76)
 0.04§
49 (23–72)
 53 (25–76)
 0.04§
Race 0.75‡
White 144/176 (81.8) 119/140 (85.0) 0.66‡ 101/120 (84.2) 75/89 (84.3)
Hispanic 13/176 (7.4) 10/140 (7.1) 7/120 (5.8) 7/89 (7.9)
Other
 19/176 (10.8)
 11/140 (7.9)
12/120 (10.0)
 7/89 (7.9)
Indoor work location
 168/176 (95.5)
 137/140 (97.9)
 0.35‡
117/119 (98.3)
 89/90 (98.9)
 0.67‡
Work near a construction site
 77/168 (45.8)
 2/140 (1.4)
 <0.001‡
86/114 (75.4)
 4/89 (4.5)
 <0.001‡
Live near a construction site
 18/170 (10.6)
 6/135 (4.4)
 0.048‡
17/120 (14.2)
 8/88 (9.1)
 0.27‡
New home construction, remodeling, landscaping in home or neighborhood since enrollment¶
 NA
 NA
 NA
28/116 (24.1)
 19/88 (21.6)
 0.67‡
Regular weekly participation in outdoor activities#
Running 26/176 (14.8) 23/140 (16.4) 0.69‡ 18/120 (15.0) 9/90 (10.0) 0.28‡
Hiking 52/176 (29.5) 39/140 (27.9) 0.74‡ 34/120 (28.3) 20/90 (22.2) 0.32‡
Walking 107/176 (60.8) 110/140 (78.6) 0.007‡ 72/120 (60.0) 71/90 (78.9) 0.004‡
Yard work
 53/176 (30.1)
 53/140 (37.9)
 0.15‡
37/120 (30.8)
 33/90 (36.7)
 0.37‡
Received diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis during study period
 NA
 NA
 NA
1/117 (0.9)
 0
 >0.99**
Initiated antifungal therapy after enrollment NA NA NA 1/120 (0.9) 1/90 (1.1) >0.99**

*Campus A was adjacent to and campus B was 13 miles away from the construction site, which required extensive excavation of soil inhabited by Coccidioides fungi. NA, not available.
†Values are no. with characteristic/no. total (%), except as noted for age.
‡By χ2 test.
§By Wilcoxon rank sum test.
¶Work that took place within the past year.
#Other activities that were evaluated but did not differ significantly between campuses were jogging, gardening, landscaping, golfing, playing team sports, swimming, and biking.
**By Fisher exact test.

Main Article

1Preliminary findings from this study were presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Coccidioidomycosis Study Group, Pasadena, California, USA, April 6, 2013.

Page created: August 13, 2014
Page updated: August 13, 2014
Page reviewed: August 13, 2014
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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